Plaxico Burress started a 2 year prison sentence today. Sadly, justice is not blind because Plaxico Burress got a raw deal as he was sentenced two years for a crime that would typically have been given very little, if any prison time. Burress had a gun which he ought not to of had. This was discovered after his firearm discharged in his own pocket and he injured himself. The NY authorities decided to make an example of Burress in terms of their strict gun ban. So, instead of the typical light sentence to someone who did not intend to hurt anyone in his crime, the book was thrown at him. He had no prior record and this helped him none. Sure, the sentence was correct in the letter of the law, but not within the spirit of the law.
This whole idea of using a single person to make an example of absurd. Burress is no more guilty that the countless other who did the same crime. Yet, because of his celebrity status he was given a harsher sentence to be made an example of. You might remember this same injustice being made of Martha Stewart in her insider trading case. I would also point to the Michael Vick case, but that has less of an argument.
On the flip side, Celebrities either are on one extreme or the other. If the book is not thrown at them, then they get little at all. Dante Stallworth was convicted of DUI Manslaughter, yet he received only 20 days in prison. How can a man get 2 years for carrying an illegal firearm yet another get 20 days for taking a person’s life? In terms of celebrities, it is a very clear example that Justice on this earth is not just.
